“Ready for lunch?” I approached him near the windows.
He looked up, and I caught the brief moment where his eyes took an extra beat to focus on me. “More than ready. This team is impressive, by the way. The Sherlock demo was mind-blowing.”
“We’ve really built something next level,” I studied his face, noting the faint lines of fatigue around his eyes that hadn’t been there this morning. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” the automatic response came too quickly, followed by a slight grimace when he recognized his own deflection. “Actually, starting to feel the morning. Not too much, just... aware of it.”
The honesty didn’t surprise me coming from him. Most people would have insisted they were fine until they were actively collapsing, including me. Finn’s straightforward assessment of his own limitations was a gift.
“We’re doing lunch downstairs,” I fell into step beside him as we headed toward the stairwell. “Quieter than the main break area, and Tabitha’s already handled the food situation.”
“Tabitha?” He slipped his hand over mine. An innocent gesture for show, but it sent shivers up my spine anyway.
“My assistant. More like my chief operating officer, really. You’ll like her,” I held the stairwell door open. “She’s probably going to ask about your intentions toward me, though.”
“Should I be worried about her approval too?”
“Definitely. Tabitha’s approval carries more weight than Dom’s. She has to work with me every day.”
Finn’s quiet chuckle echoed in the stairwell, but I noticed him gripping the railing more firmly than what seemed normal. By the time we reached the seventh floor, there was a slight hitch in his stride.
The conference room door was already open, window shades drawn, beckoning us out of the bright light of the common area. Tabitha had lowered the overhead fixtures until they created soft, even lighting that wouldn’t assault tired eyes, and she’d positioned the food at the far end of the table.
Oliver stood near one of the external facing windows, water in hand, looking every bit as stressed as I’d expected. His reading glasses were hooked in his shirt pocket, and his usually perfect posture had sagged as if he’d been carrying an invisible burden all morning.
“Oliver,” I gently guided Finn into the room, “I’d like you to meet Finn. Finn, this is Oliver, my business partner and the person who taught me everything I know about running a creative agency.”
Oliver straightened, summoning a smile as he extended his hand. “Finn. Welcome to Catalyst.”
“Thank you for having me,” Finn’s handshake was firm but brief. “You and Alex have built something remarkable here.”
“Thank you,” Oliver smiled. “Though Alex does most of the heavy lifting these days.”
The self-deprecation in his voice made my chest tight. Oliver had been carrying his own guilt about wanting to retire, as if his desire to spend more time with Ginny somehow betrayed the company we’d built together.
“And this,” I continued, nodding toward the end of the table, “is Tabitha, who keeps me functional and the company running.”
Tabitha looked up from her arrangement of containers, taking in Finn with the same assessing gaze she used to evaluate potential vendors or difficult clients. She was twenty-eight, sharp as a blade, with intuitive understanding of human behavior thatmade her top of her class while studying behavioral therapy before quitting to work for me full time.
“So you’re Finn,” her smile was both welcoming and evaluative. “I have to say, it’s nice to see Alex finally show up for a meal.”
My cheeks burned slightly. “Tabitha.”
“What? It’s true. Usually I have to physically bring food to your desk or you’d try to subsist entirely on iced coffee and rage.” She turned back to Finn with an approving eye. “The fact that you’re here eating actual food suggests he’s a good influence.”
“Copy that,” Finn settled into one of the chairs carefully. “I’ll make sure to keep her fed.”
“I like him already,” Tabitha announced, shooting me a look that clearly said“finally, someone who gets it.”
Watching Finn integrate naturally into the ecosystem Tabitha and I had built felt like watching puzzle pieces slide into place.
Oliver took the chair across from Finn, studying him. “Alex mentioned you’re former Navy?”
“Pilot,” Finn confirmed, reaching for his water glass. I noticed the slight tremor. “Until recently.”
“Tough transition,” Oliver replied, and I appreciated that he didn’t push for details. “I imagine civilian life feels pretty different.”
“Still figuring that out,” Finn’s smile held an edge of self-deprecation. “Though mornings like this help. Seeing Alex in her element, meeting your team. It’s impressive.”
